The Dardanelles

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 274, 29 April 1915, Page 5

The Dardanelles

FRENCH TROOPS LANDED. KU.\f KALEH OCCUPIED. Received April 28, !).'2O p.m. Paris, April 28. < flicial: The French troops especially o]' rated at Kum Kaleh, their landing boin; entirely successful under the fleet's protection, despite .the enemy's lire supported by heavy artillery. The enemy's losses were high. LANDING EFFECTED ON BOTH SIDES. ADVANCE CONTINUED. Received April 28, 8.30 p.m. Cairo, April 28. Official: The Allies under General Sir lan Hamilton ell'eeted a landing on both sides of the Dardanelles under excelled conditions, taking many prisoners. The Allies continue to advance. HARD FIGHTING AT GALL'fPOLIALLIES FINELY ESTABLISHED; Received April 2H, 8.40 p.m. London, April 28. The War Office and Admiralty stale that after days of hard fighting the troops in the Gallipoli Peninsula are thoroughly making good their footing, with the navy's effective help. The French have taken five hundred prisoners. A TURKISH REPORT. A VICTORY CLAIMED. . Constantinople April 27. A communique claims that the allied troops at Tckehurun and Kum Kaleh were repulsed on the coast portion and returned to the ships. The Allies lost 400 dead and 20ft prisoners. A party of Moslem soldiers landing with the French at Kum Kaleh deserted and joined the Turks. The communique adds that Turks before Karbato.pheh took prisoners a number of 'British and Australians, including a eaptain and a lieutenant.

A SECRET MEETING. WAITING FOR GERMAN ASSISTANCE. OR PEACE AT ANY PRICE. Received April 28, 11.40 .ni. Paris, April 28. Lc Temps reports that a secret meeting was held in Constantinople of leading members of the Union of Progress Committee, wherefrom Germans were debarred. The meeting decided to allow military events to take their course at present, but if Germany fails to provide adequate assistance a separate peace should be sued for at any price. PLOT AGAINST GERMANS. \. Puris, April 27. The Salonika correspondent of tlte Echo de Paris says that an infernal machine was discovered in the War Ministry timed to explode during a meeting of the Council of Ministers who included Enver Pasha and Generals von Sanders and von der Goltz. The German police believe a serious political organisation is working against the Germans and Young Turks. Several functionaries at the -Ministry have 'heen arrested. ARMENIAN MASSACRES. London, April 27. Tiflis reports state that refugees who have reached tbe Russian lines state that the Mahommedans are massacring the 'Armenians wholesale The inhabitants of ten villages have been slaughtered. A TITLE FOR THE SULTAN. Received April 28, 11 p.m. Amsterdam, April 28. The Council of Ministers has asked the Sultan to accept the title of Ghazi, or Conqueror. BRITISH NAVAL LOSSES. SHIPS FIGHT FORTS. AMETHYST'S GALLANT lACT. The losses suffered by the British fleet in the Dardanelles, when the Ocean and the irresistible were sunk" and the Inflexible was put out of action, amounted to only lti killed, wounded and missing. This is regarded as a remarkable fact considering the two lost battleships had a total complement of 1530 men. All the crew escaped from the Ocean, although she is thought to have gone to the bottom within a few minutes after striking a floating mine. Four oflicers ami four men on board the Irresistible, and three officers and twenty men on board the Inflexible, wove killed.. The casualties suffered by the Inflexible were caused by the explosion of a big shell on the deck of the battle-cruiser. The French battleship Gaulois, which v. as badly damaged along the waterline by shells' from the Turkish forts, was anchored in deep water off Mavrais Island, while her sister ship, the Charlemagne, stood by to otl'er assistance if it was needed. Complete details of the damage suffered by the forts has not been obtained, but the allied commanders believe it was serious. Fort Kum Kaleh, which had been repaired by the Turks, directed an accurate (ire against the warships. A Havas correspondent obtained from a survivor of the Rouvet the following story of the sinking of the French battleship:— " The Rouvet advanced at full speed into the Narrows. Wc bombarded Fort llamidieh, whose bnttcrres responded vigorously. The Turkish shells at first were poorly aimed, but they soon determined the correct range. Shells burst on board the Hornet and on all sides of her, causing serious dam- " My station was under the bridge of fh< commandant, who had just given orders to change our course, when I heard li terrible noise. It was the explosion of the powder magazine. Immediately the liouvet commenced to list heavily, S stml many of her crew : were swallowed up by the inrush of waters. The forts l-.ciit up an unceasing fire against our ship, although she was sinking. I was saved by an English boat."

- V'IVE LA FRANCE." Standing at salute and shouting "Vive la France," the officers and crew of the Boiivct went down with their ship, according to the Tenedos correspondent of tiu- .Athens 'Patris, who thus describes the action in which the Bouvet and the

(liMilois were engaged:—"Tlie captain of tiio Bouvet hud been ordered to cross a dangerous mine zone and force a passage to (.'liana I; Kalessi, thus making Die Allies masters of tlie Straits us far as Xagara. At twenty minutes ■past one o'clock tlie Bouvet was five mill's from C'hnnak, "and was firing at Fort Dardanus. She had crossed two mine zones. The Caulois followed, firing all her guns. The commander of the Bouvet, by a skilful manoeuvre, avoided two mines, which were exploded by a destroyer, but a third struck her in the region of her magazines, and she sank by the head. .Seven survivors of the Bouvet climbed into a boat and sj cut the night in a bay on tlie Europi an side of the Straits. They Were taken off the next day by a British destroyer. ''When the captain of tlie Ottulois saw t'ne Bouvet was sinking he ordered ' Full speed ahead ' without an instant's hesitation, but his ship had been struck seven times, and lie was obliged to put back, anchoring olf Mavrais Island." OFFICIAL PATHS REPORT. Official announcement was made in Paris that sixty-four men were saved fiom the. crew of the Bouvet. The Bouvet had a peace complement of 621 ofliiers and crew. This number is increased, however, in time of war. The looses on the other ships of the French. division which took part in the action are declared to be very slight. The text of the communication follows: " French battleships had the honor of nlfni-king the forts in the Narrows of the Dardanelles at short ranee on March 18. They accomplished this task with vigour, and were highly praised by the British sailors. Bear-Admiral Oiueprette telegraphs that the honor of the r'rench Hag has been fully sustained, although dearly bought by the ( loss of the Bouvet. The number of survivors is actually known to be <W. The number killed and wounded on the other ships of the division is small." Fire from the Turkish batteries was uninterrupted and violent, according'to information obtained from other sources. The prow of the French battleship flaulois was touched by a mine, but tlie damage could be repaired in a few days.